Informality: The Social and Relational Aspects in ESL

By Jennifer Tong

Many of our church-based ESL classes tend to be informal. This means classes are smaller; there may not be a fixed curriculum, the leaders are often conversation facilitators rather than ‘teachers’, and there may not be formal procedures of assessments or advancing from one level to another. Often, organizers aspire towards being more formal and well organized, creating a school-like environment where there is more emphasis on things like lesson plans and teaching techniques. However, might there be benefits in being informal, and might the informal approach have backings in good language learning principles?

Imagine an online, small-group, intermediate/advanced level ESL class that goes like this (it actually happened): The ‘teacher’ starts the class by asking if the students have any language or culture questions they encountered during the week. Some ask about tax questions as it is tax season. Then a student asks about what “have a shot” means (there are at least two meanings). The class discusses these meanings. Then the same student says she’s had a problem with the word “pool” as in swimming pool and pool table. After that the class launches into a conversation about different games. Another student then asks whether ‘death’ is a taboo subject in Canada. This leads to a long and deep discussion about matters surrounding death, like making a will and appointing someone to be Power of Attorney, funeral homes, and different traditions, etc. The entire class is spent ‘chatting’.

Let’s try to tease out the benefits of such a class before dismissing it as unorganized and ad hoc. Notice that the questions come from the students themselves. They are taking initiative in learning, and the topics are very relevant to them. As such, there is intrinsic motivation in learning, and there is “compelling input” – language input whose meanings the students are compelled to find out. As well, the conversations are rooted in real life. It is as if the classroom is life, and the conversations are part of their lives. What happens in the class is not artificial or imposed by the teacher. As Dwight Gradin says, “Just as swimming is best learned in water, so language is best learned in the medium for which it was designed, namely communication. You can productively practice language in the classroom just as you can productively practice certain strokes on land, but it won’t all come together for you until you get into the real thing.” While chatting, what students are engaged in is ‘the real thing’. The social, interactive aspects of language learning are rightly emphasized.

There is also a spontaneous flow in the class. Students participate in the conversations freely, and they all contribute. There isn’t excessive reliance on the teacher. Such flow, where students forget that they are learning and using a second language, is also very conducive to language learning. Related to this is the fun and laughter that characterize the class. The atmosphere is safe, the anxiety of learning a language is lowered, and learning is maximized. All this also means that the class is highly relational. The teacher and students become friends, and such friendship includes listening, letting the students be themselves, and an openness and vulnerability with each other. When they reveal their uncertainty and ‘lostness’ in the cultural points they are asking about, they are being vulnerable, and such moments are not only good teaching moments we can seize, but also precious relationship-building moments where we can connect with them emotionally and help them to overcome their fears.

There is, then, a lot to be said about the benefits of an informal approach like this. In my opinion, not only is this not an inferior approach, it can actually stand in its own right as an intentional and preferable way of conducting our ESL classes. It also means that church ESL volunteers, who may not have formal TESL training, may be in a very good place to facilitate good conversations and become friends with the students if they are sensitive to the points mentioned. When we become friends, we can attract students to Christ through our testimony and can share our faith naturally.

I’m guessing you might have questions or there might be some pushback to such an approach. Would you like to write to us at eslministries@gmail.com for a dialogue?